Abstract
BackgroundCostal exostosis is a benign condition that sometimes requires emergent surgery because of associated hemothorax; in addition, there have been cases with malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma. Here, we describe an asymptomatic patient who underwent thoracoscopic resection for primary costal exostosis.Case presentationA 16-year-old male was found to have a bow-shaped shadow on a chest X-ray. Chest computed tomography revealed a rod-like mass with a soft tissue shadow adjacent to the left fifth rib. A thoracoscopic partial resection of the left fifth rib was performed. Intraoperative findings included thickening of the pericardium near the tip of the growth and erosion of the visceral pleura of the left lung. The resected specimen was diagnosed as a primary costal exostosis based on histopathological findings.ConclusionsWe review the published literature on costal exostosis and discuss the surgical indications of asymptomatic cases.
Highlights
Costal exostosis is a benign condition that sometimes requires emergent surgery because of associated hemothorax; in addition, there have been cases with malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma
A costal exostosis is a benign growth capped by cartilage, which protrudes from a rib
We performed a resection of an asymptomatic primary costal exostosis that had been incidentally discovered on a chest X-ray and I found the exostosis was accompanied with wall thickening in the pericardium and visceral pleura of the left lung
Summary
A costal exostosis is a benign growth capped by cartilage, which protrudes from a rib. It may sometimes require emergent surgery because of an associated complication such as damage to an intrathoracic organ [1, 2], and there have been some cases that have transformed to chondrosarcoma [3]. We performed a resection of an asymptomatic primary costal exostosis that had been incidentally discovered on a chest X-ray and I found the exostosis was accompanied with wall thickening in the pericardium and visceral pleura of the left lung. An approximately 50-mm long structure protruding from the fifth rib into the chest cavity was observed through the thoracoscope. There were no signs of malignant changes, and the growth was diagnosed as a primary costal exostosis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
